Leucanella of Peru
As of this writing, February 13, 2013, there are twenty-one Leucanella species/subspecies recorded for Peru.
Three of those species, Leucanella viettei, Leucanella memusoides and Leucanella winfbrechlini are decidely western with
slightly different geographic ranges.
Three of the eastern species, Leucanella stuarti rothschildi. Leucanella atahualpae and Leucanella evanschaycki have very distinct characters.
Leucanella appolinairei and Leucanella christbrechlinae have forewings with a very reddish-pink ground colour.
The remaining five species are quite similar. Hopefully the groupings and notes will help with identifications: Three species have preapical
postmedian lines and forewings that are quite elongate and falcate: contei, newmanni, maasseni.
In the two remaining species, L. contempta contempta and L. lynx, the pm lines are apical,
the forewings are only slightly apically produced, and the hindwing ground colour is dark grey to almost black.
The eyespot in L. lynx tends to be small with a single pupil heavily suffused with white. In L. contempta contempta
the eyespot is larger with multiple pupils and less white suffusion.
Leucanella
very distinct species
Leucanella stuarti rothschildi
68, 80-87mm; 2200-3000m
apex not produced
outer margin convex
forewing gc: dark brown
white veins, lines, cell outline
hindwing gc: red
multiple dark oblong pupils
Cusco, Apurimac
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Leucanella
very distinct species
Leucanella atahualpae
apex only slightly produced
pml very dark, slightly concave, moderately preapical, faintly inwardly
lined with yellow
am line pale yellow only
gc almost uniform dull brown
cell spot: small, darker grey, oblong, with tiny whitish dot
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Leucanella
very distinct species
Leucanella evanschaycki
apex very slightly produced
pml quite straight & very slightly pre-apical
gc almost uniform reddish brown,
lighter in pm area
cell spot: large, subcircular with prominent white dot
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Leucanella
western
Leucanella viettei
96, 93mm; 1800-2374m
fw: slightly to not produced
basal, cell, terminal areas dark
pm line straight/slightly concave,
inwardly lined with creamy-white
cell outlined in creamy-white
am line outwardly lined with c-w
hindwing ground color grey
wide, reddish brown sbmrgnl band
very arid western Cordillera: Lima
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Leucanella
northwestern
Leucanella memusoides
63-74, 80mm; 550-2100m
pm line approaches apex
apex slightly produced
outer margin straight
m gc: light orange-brown/pale olive
f gc: pinkish-brown
hindwing gc brown
narrow red submarginal band
northwestern: Tumbes, Piura
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Leucanella
pink forewing ground colour
Leucanella apollinairei
80-85, 98-104mm; 1000-1400m
upper yellow bar wider than darker lower bar
of transverse line
hindwing ocellus larger than in christbrechlinae
Loreto, Amazonas, Cusco,
Madre de Dios; ? San Martin,
??? Huanuco, Pasco, Junin
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Leucanella
pink forewing ground colour
Leucanella christbrechlinae
mfl: 39-43 (6); ffl: 48mm (1)
700-1200m
upper yellow bar narrower than darker lower bar of transverse line
hindwing ocellus smaller than in apollinairei
Madre de Dios, Junin, Pasco
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Leucanella
pink forewing ground colour
I think it would be difficult to determine the two species to the left if just
the forewings are visible. Possibly apollinairei flies at slightly higher elevations
and further north in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela
Some of the location data for apollinairei may be in error as older records
for the unrecognized christbrechlinae may have been incorporated into apollinaire files.
Brechlin and Meister indicate Lemaire's items 4 and 5 on Plate 121, Hemileucinae, 2002, are actually
christbrechlinae.
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Leucanella
greatly produced apex
moderately pre-apical pm line
Leucanella contei
95-107, 94mm; 1200-2000m
fw: falcate, elongate
basal, cell, median areas beige-brn
lighter beige trmnl/mrgnl areas
oblique, slightly preapical,
orangey-brown pm line
weak orangey-yellow am line,
almost meets pml at inner margin
hw gc dark grey to black
large copper-ringed eyespot
multiple pupils,
smaller ones suffused in white
Cajamarca, San Martin, Cusco,
Puno
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Leucanella
greatly produced apex
moderately pre-apical pm line
Leucanella julianae
appears to be same specimen as contei??
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Leucanella
greatly produced apex
moderately pre-apical pm line
Leucanella hausmanni
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Leucanella
apex slightly produced,
pm line slightly preapical
L. contempta contempta
82-103, 109-111mm; 600-2800m
apex slightly produced, pointed
pm line slightly preapical
dark, inwardly lined with yellow
large eyespot, multiple pupils
narow black and yellow rings
San Martin, Huanuco, Junin,
Madre de Dios; Puno
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Leucanella
apex slightly produced,
pm line slightly preapical
Leucanella lynx
95-107, 116mm; 1700-3000m
large, subcircular fw cell mark
small hw eyespot
usually single pupil
broader yellow-white-copper ring
hw gc: dark grey to black
Cajamarca, Amazonas,
San Martin, Junin, Pasco
??? Huanuco, Cusco, Puno
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Leucanella
apex slightly produced,
pm line slightly preapical
Leucanella siriae
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Leucanella
apex slightly produced,
pm line slightly preapical
Leucanella rufoboliviana
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Leucanella contempta contempta male, Rio Venado, Junin, Peru,
January 26, 2008, 1050m, courtesy of Vladimir Izersky, id by Bill Oehlke.
The specimen image sent to me by Vladimir Izersky is also very close to Leucanella contei. I have chosen L. c. contempta
due to slightly lower elevation (L. contei above 1200m) and more contrasting forewing markings than I would expect in
L. contei. On the other hand, the outer margin is intermediate between L. contei and L. c. contempta.
ESS images
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